What percentage of body weight is lifted during a pushup?

Answer 1

Answer 1Theoretically, and assuming that the body weight were evenly distributed per foot of height, THEN the portion of body weight lifted by the arms during a pushup would be about 50%.

But, since weight is not uniformly distributed into each unit of body height, and since the head is on the opposite side of the lifting arms, then a reasonable guesstimate of the percentage lifted by the arms would be about 55% to possibly 70% for some people.

Answer 2

Well I don't know the exact answer and I believe that it would be a lot more complex then described above. But easy way to find out for your specific size is to get a normal scale take a push up position and put both hands on the scale, how every much weight is applied to the scale would be the amount lifted.

Answer 3

According to Men's Health in The Big Book of Exercises [2009] on page 35, you lift 75% of your body weight when doing a regular push-up. IF you modify said push-up by using your knees you use only 65% [cited from page 36]

Answer 4

Example: I weigh 290lbs (weightlifter) when I weighed myself while doing a pushup the scale read 199lbs. Rounded up that is 200. 200/290 equals .6896 which is rounded to 69%. So in my example/case the percentage is roughly 70%. I think it will vary from person to person.

Answer 2

From what data is available, this percentage is actually very low because of the increased number of overweight people in the United States. It is said that less than 30 percent of men can bench press their own body weight.

Answer 3

3% of people